$1,000 reward offered in West Quad arson

By Jillian Bogater

The Department of Public Safety is looking for a man in connection with a small fire early Thursday in a lower-level hallway of West Quad. A $1,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest for the arson.

DPS is searching for someone described as a "person of interest" in the case. He is described as a white male, 5 feet 7 inches tall, slim build, 18-22 years old, with short blonde hair, last seen wearing a blue jacket, yellow T-shirt, blue jeans and white tennis shoes.

A security camera video showing the person of interest is posted on the DPS Web site, police.umich.edu.

Anyone with any information is encouraged to immediately contact the department at 763-1131 or U-M's Anonymous Tip Line (800) 863-1355.

The fire was contained in a hallway and was extinguished promptly, but water from sprinklers affected 11 rooms housing 20 students. Two pairs of roommates relocated to other residence hall rooms, and the rest found accommodations with friends, says Peter Logan, director of Housing Communications. All but two students had returned to their rooms as of Monday afternoon.

The fire broke out at approximately 1:30 a.m. All students were evacuated and there were no reported injuries. A room door and carpet sustained minor fire damage.